Book Recommendation: Let’s Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel
More women than ever are choosing to travel on their own – whether they’re retired, recently divorced, widowed, empty nesters, digital nomads, or simply ready for a new adventure.
Here is a book I purchased, read, and plan to keep on my bookshelf for years to come: Let’s Not Play Small: A Memoir of Divorce, Healing, and Reinvention Through Solo Travel, written by Dawn Ritter Fischer. (Paid Amazon link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.)
Why It Stayed With Me
I really like this book because it deals with issues many women today face or are facing. Unhappy or unfulfilling marriages. Feelings of betrayal. Divorce after 30 plus years of marriage, for one reason or another. Loss, bewilderment, confusion, and long-held beliefs about oneself.
These are all things that the author faced and confronts in this book. Feeling uncertain and unsure of what her next steps would be, one thing she was sure of though, she didn’t want to continue living the way she had been.
After the tears and heartbreak, she pulls herself together, puts herself first, and comes to a decision. She is going travel full time and become a solo nomad.
As Dawn begins her new life, we travel alongside her. We meet the people she meets, visit the places she explores, and experience the joys, disappointments, laughter, loneliness, illness, and unexpected moments that shape her journey. Along the way, we witness not just her travels, but her gradual rediscovery of herself.
What stayed with me most wasn’t simply that Dawn traveled around the world. It was watching someone slowly rediscover herself after believing life had already been written.
What I Really Loved About This Book
In addition to the stories, what I loved about this book is the bonus section at the end, which is full of useful, practical resources, based on her experiences. All travelers, not just women, will find something valuable to learn in this section.
I consider myself a knowledgeable, adventurous traveler, yet I found myself highlighting paragraph after paragraph.
Dawn’s writing draws you in. It is as if she is having an easy-going conversation with you. Serious about not playing small, she is also funny and does not take herself too seriously either. She has the remarkable ability to laugh at herself, and to make us laugh too, and I find that charming.
Recounting her experiences and telling her stories, she never sounds teachy or preachy and always reminds readers that what works for her may not be what works for you. ‘You do, you.’ That’s why it’s so easy to relate to her and feel that she relates to us too.
This book is a good reminder to us all, especially at this stage in life, that whatever we choose to do from now on, Let’s Not Play Small!
Who Might Enjoy This Book
If you are:
• wondering what’s next after retirement
• healing from a major life change
• dreaming about traveling alone
• curious about becoming a digital nomad
• simply looking for an honest memoir
…I think you’ll enjoy this one.
Why It’s One of Mary’s Picks
This isn’t just a book about solo travel.
It’s a book about courage, reinvention, and discovering that life still holds wonderful possibilities, no matter your age.
